Lecture 22, ISB 202, Spring 2002, Whalon1

Managing Biological Resources & Environmental Equality

“The Business of Hunger”

Now playing:

Kurt Bestor, Sam Cardon

“Prayer of the Children”

For more than half a century I have worked with the production of more and better wheat for feeding the hungry people, but wheat is merely a catalyst, a part of the picture. I am interested in the total development of human beings. Only by attacking the whole problem can we raise the standard of living for all people in all communities, so that they will be able to live decent lives. This is something we want for all people on this planet.

--Dr. Norman Borlaug, (1914 - present) 1970 Nobel Prize winner

What greater human right is there than the right to eat?

Senator Bob Dole (1923 - 1998)

A man who has bread has many problems, a man withoutbread has only one. Byzantine Proverb

1. Why does hunger exist in a world of plenty?

3. Will technology and a global economy solve hunger?

A Degenerating Circle: Poverty, Environment & Economy

2. What changes in today’s world food production?

Video

The Business of HungerPBS TV Documentary

Maryknoll World Video Library914-941-7590

Are you able to Apply the Following:

Structure + Process = Patternto the

following lecture?

Growing disparities in incomes among regions

05,000

10,00015,00020,00025,000

1970 1975 1980 1985 1990(per

capi

ta in

come

in co

nsta

nt in

terna

tiona

l dol

lars)

Africa Asia Latin AmericaW. Europe N. America

What causes war among you? You desire and do not have so you…

Lecture 22, ISB 202, Spring 2002, Whalon2

People on the Move

-63-9

-1366-41

739

102

-392

-85

971

340111

404

-1500

-1000

-500

0

500

1000

Net N

umbe

r of M

igra

nts (

thou

sand

s)

Africa Asia Europe LatinAmerica and

Carribean

NorthAmerica

Oceania

Number (thousands)Rate (per 100,000 population)

How do the following factors contribute to hunger?

• War/Genocide/Discrimination/Technology– Alternative Approaches to Equity & Valuation of

People• Disease• Environmental Disaster• Economic Disaster• Invasive Species• Trade/Economics/Globalism• Build-out, Sprawl or Poorly Planned

Development

Urban Growth Spurt Continues

0123456789

10

1950 1975 2000 2025

Popu

latio

n (b

illio

ns)

Rural Developed Urban DevelopedRural Developing Urban Developing

0

1

2

3

4

5 Yi

eld (m

etric

tons

/hec

tare

)

1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

Wheat Yield Rice Yield Maize Yield

Yields Are Up, But the Rate of Growth is Slowing

Despite Gains, Millions Go Hungry

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1969-71 1979-81 1990-92 2010(milli

on p

erso

ns su

fferin

g fro

m u

nder

nutri

tion)

Sub-Saharan Africa Near East and North AfricaEast and Southeast Asia South AsiaLatin America and the Caribbean

Lecture 22, ISB 202, Spring 2002, Whalon3

World Totals(million hectares)

Vegetation Removal 579Overexploitation 133Overgrazing 679Agricultural Activities 522Industrial and Bioindustrial 23

Degraded Soil Means Less Food

050

100150200250300350

(milli

ons o

f hec

tare

s deg

rade

d)

World Africa North andCentralAmerica

SouthAmerica

Asia Europe Oceania

Vegetation Removal OverexploitationOvergrazing Agricultural ActivitiesIndustrial and Bioindustrial

Food Supply Increasingly Relies on Irrigation

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

1961 1966 1971 1976 1981 1986 1991

(per

cent

)

Africa Asia Latin America Europe

North America Oceania World

020406080

100120140160

1961 1966 1971 1976 1981 1986 1991

(mill

ion

met

ric to

ns)

AfricaAsiaSouth and Central AmericaEuropeNorth AmericaOceaniaWorld

More fertilizer: More food, but more pollution too

Progress in Feeding the World Has Varied Widely by Region

80

100

120

140

160

180

1961 1966 1971 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996

Inde

x Nu

mbe

rs 1

961=

100

U.S.S.R. (former) AfricaAsia EuropeWorld Latin America

What factors may contribute to these results?

The Lesson of the

Former USSR!

Lecture 22, ISB 202, Spring 2002, Whalon4

Some people argue

that it’s not a

matter of too little

food...US Surplus of grain

today? < 68 days!

How do you think hunger and malnutrition contribute to:

• Brain development?• Energy level• Mental attitude• Ability to resist disease• Ability to compete in a global marketplace• Reproduction• Sustainability

Lecture 22, ISB 202, Spring 2002, Whalon5

-Increasing food production

What can YOU do?

• Aquaculture

• Biotechnology

• Add plants to human diet

• Sustainable agriculture

Hunger: What can we do to:Farmed Fish Are a Growing

Share of the Global Fish Harvest

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995

(milli

on m

etric

tons

)

Total Capture Total Aquaculture

Biotechnology Global Area of transgenic crops

Weed Infested Soybean Plot

Weed-infested soybean plot (left) and Roundup Ready® soybeans after Roundup treatment. Source: Monsanto

European Corn Borer & Cotton Bollworm

European corn borer (left) and cotton bollworm (right) are two pests controlled by Bt corn and cotton, respectively.Source: USDA.

Lecture 22, ISB 202, Spring 2002, Whalon6

Corn hybrid with a Bt gene (left) and a hybrid susceptible to European corn borer (right).

Source: Monsanto

Results of insect infestation on Bt (right) and non-Bt (left) cotton bolls.

Source: USDA

Corn rootworm feeding on a young maize root.

Source: USDA

Range of damage due to corn rootworm feeding, from severe (left) to no damge (right).

Source: USDA

Crops, Traits, and AcreageThe most important transgenic crop in terms of acreage

planted is soybean, followed by corn, cotton, and canola.

Adoption of transgenic crops (genetically engineered) in the United States has been far greater than in many other

countries. The following graph shows the acreage of transgenic crops in the United States (1996-2001)

Lecture 22, ISB 202, Spring 2002, Whalon7

World Transgenic (Genetically Engineered)

Crop Production

USA 74.8 soybean, corn, cotton, canolaArgentina 24.7 soybean, corn, cotton, canolaCanada 7.4 soybean, corn, canolaChina 1.2 cottonSouth Africa 0.5 corn, cottonSustralia 0.4 cottonMexico minor cottonBulgaria minor cornRomania minor soybean, potatoSpain minor cornGermany minor cornFrance minor cornUruguay minor soybean

Transgenic crop production area by country (source: James, 2003b)

Country Area planted in 2000 (millions of acres)

Crops grown

Video

Risky Business: Biotechnology & AgricultureMoving Images Video Project

2408 East Valley StreetSeattle, WA 98112

206-323-9461

So What’s the Big Deal about GMO’s Anyway?

• Science seems to confirm that there is no health issue, but….

• Who owns the technology?• Who stands to gain most by the technology?• Developed countries that can’t compete tend

to what to ban or decrease GMO imports…• Many 2/3 world countries will take GMO’s• Black Market is a big challenge…• Will GMP Crops Affect Sustainability?

Forest Loss Is Severe in the Tropics

0

10

20

30

40

50

(per

cent

)

Asia Africa Latin America World

How do forests contribute to the water cycle, diversity,

future resources and sustainability?

Amazon Deforestation Remains High

Many of Earth’s Forests Have Been Cleared or Degraded

02,000,0004,000,0006,000,0008,000,000

10,000,00012,000,00014,000,00016,000,00018,000,000

Russia andEurope

Asia North &South

America

SouthAmerica

Africa Oceania

(milli

ons o

f squ

are k

ilom

eter

s)

Cleared Non Frontier Forest Frontier Forest

Lecture 22, ISB 202, Spring 2002, Whalon8

What major changes appear to be looming on our future horizon?

• Global warming• Growing environmental problems• Loss of Biodiversity• Build-Out or Sprawl• Globalism/Trade Agreements• Biological Revolution• Taxation Measurement in a Web World• Immigration & Invasive Species• The Poor• The Hungry

How do Global Economics Affect Hunger?

• Education• Access to Capital• Fair Interests• Black Market & Crime• Information Technology Vs Agr. & Manuf.• Social Justice• Value of Human Life and the Value of $

1. Why does hunger exist in a world of plenty?

3. Will technology and a global economy solve hunger?

A Degenerating Circle: Poverty, Environment & Economy

2. What changes in today’s world food production?

What will you do about hunger?